THE Office of the Ombudsman ordered on Monday the Department of the Interior and Local Government to implement the one-month suspension of Mayor Demosthenes Arabaca of Magallanes, Agusan del Norte for simple misconduct.
The case against Arabaca stemmed from the illegal disconnection of the electrical lines of several households of Barangay Caloc-an.
The mayor failed to secure the approval of the municipal councilors to allow the power disconnection.
Also ordered suspended were municipal engineer Jerry Delicano and fire marshall Pablo Tresfuentes.
“In passing these ordinances, the Sangguniang Bayan of Magallanes did not intend to give any of the municipal officials the power to disconnect electrical lines, there is thus, sufficient ground to believe that respondent mayor acted beyond his authority,” the Ombudsman’s resolution read.
Simple misconduct is the transgression of some established rule of action, an unlawful behavior, or negligence committed by a public officer.